There IS more happening than the talk vs. blog discussion. Here are some interesting things that came at me today.

First, a new form of Internet mischief — Typosquatting: Preying on people who slightly mistype the URL of a popular web site in order to install spyware, malware, and the like. Example: “Be very careful when you enter in Google’s URL on your web browser. Miss just one letter and you’ll end up on a rapaciously nasty site that could install viruses and spyware on your system.”

Next, a potential mea culpa (not yet though)–Based on the low level of filings in the first two months of this year, I said “I would not be surprised if the expected rush (to file for bankruptcy before the new law kicks in) does NOT materialize.”
        So far, so wrong: “Americans made a stampede to Bankruptcy Court last month as passage of bankruptcy reform was inevitable. A record 165,000 filings were made during March, compared to 152,000 for March 2004. The 8.5% gain in filings reverses a steady decline in bankruptcy filings over the past two years.”
        Of course I didn’t know quite as much then as I know now about the bill. The bill’s draconian provisions, particularly the unreality of the Means Test, plus the impending increase in minimum payment requirements (independent of the law) may be leading many to conclude that they’ll have no chance of being treated fairly in the new system. I’m certainly not going to argue with them. OTOH, the first quarter 2005 total filings, even with the very high March number, is the lowest since 2001.

Finally, I’m sure this capability has been around for a while, but that doesn’t make me any more pleased about it. If you Google your home phone number or business phone number in the search box, you will probably see that you have a directory listing and can click to see where your house or business is located on a map. So can a coworker, stalker, or thief. If this gives you the creeps and you want out of Google’s phone book, Google has a phone book removal form. But it’s all like trying to put toothpast back in the tube–it probably won’t do anything to keep you out of The Ultimates, which does the same thing, though less elegantly, and who knows what other directories. What have we wrought?

Part 1 is HERE.
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Radio and Records Ratings has the Arbitrons for the 1st Qtr of 2005 for many of the top markets all apparently released this week. Many larger markets are missing, and I don’t know why.

This is more data than I can stand, so I’ll try to limit the look to the major markets and other noteworthies (first set of numbers is 4Q04 to 1Q05, and second set is 1Q04 to 1Q05, followed by standing in market from 1Q04 to 1Q05):

- NY City:
WABC — 4.5-3.5, 3.7-3.5, 8th to 8th
WOR — 2.2-2.2, 2.2-2.2, 20th to 19th

- Los Angeles:
KFI — 4.4-4.6, 3.9-4.6, 3rd to 2nd
KLSX — 3.0-2.5, 2.5-2.5, 14th to 15th
KABC– 2.9-2.3, 2.4-2.3, 15th to 16th

- Chicago:
WGN — 5.8-5.3, 5.9-5.3, 1st to 4th
WLS — 4.4-4.2, 4.5-4.2, 2nd to 7th

Seat of the pants evaluations of some other big markets:

• Dallas-Fort Worth–dropping a bit at WBAP
• Philadelphia–nice gains at WPHT
• Detroit–very big gains at WJR (suspect this is the result of moving Dr. Laura from late AM to late PM)
• Minneapolis–big gains at monster WCCO offset almost exactly by losses at the little talkers
• Cincinnati–WKRC (no, not WKRP, silly) down 6% in 12 months and down 24% after election, fell from 5th to 8th place in market in past year with no lineup change
• Denver–KOA down 20% in past quarter but up 17% in past year
• St. Louis–KMOX Down 23% in past quarter and 5% in past year; 2nd place talker has doubled listeners in past year

Seat of the pants overall and admittedly broad-brush observations:

• The talk stations that are holding their own or improving appear to be the ones who have Savage, Glenn Beck, or both.
• Stations that are relying on the “ABC duo” of Limbaugh and Hannity appear to be taking big hits.

A pure speculation, tying back to my take on why blogs may be taking listeners from talk radio–Savage and Beck are gaining because they are less predictable and perhaps more entertaining than Limbaugh and Hannity, who even diehard fans must admit have gotten very predictable. Savage and Beck cover many items that have not been blogged; Limbaugh and Hannity cover what’s been blogged already. Blog readers, and bloggers, can leave them alone at relatively little risk of missing anything big.

That’s enough armchair analysis for a non-expert. Let’s just say that I believe I see the beginning of a trend, and it bears watching.
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UPDATE: Just heard Savage and Chris Ruddy of Newsmax (in the car, of course) give very little love to the blogosphere, and Ruddy characterized the talk radio decline as something the MSM will overemphasize when it’s just part of a “normal cycle.” We’ll see, guys.

UPDATE 2: A while back, Zmetro opined that radio as a medium is in a long-term decline for a wide variety of reasons.

UPDATE 3: My View of the World points out that the Milwaukee market may be resistant to a talk decline due to strong local hosts. Good point to possibly apply in other places where local talent is strong.